Little Miss Sunshine
by TheLegendaryPotterhead
Summary: Jade Clark always hid in the shadows; nothing special. But when she's found and taken by four strange boys to Camp Half-Blood, she's believed to harness a great power. She discovers her identity and is immediately shipped off on a mysterious quest. Will her growing relationships, both friendly and romantic, affect her rising potential, or help her see what she's really capable of?
1. Prologue

**Hello Readers! This is my first FanFic, amd I hope you enjoy it! Bear with me here; the first chapters may be a little slow, but I promise that it'll get better! (Or I'll try to make it better.) I apologize in advance for characters acting OOC; as you are all aware, I am not Rick Riordan, so my interpretation will be different. Reviews are encouraged! I accept constructive criticism! **

**The story is set after Blood of Olympus (we're gonna say that Gaea gets defeated, but sadly we don't know for sure yet). And let's just assume, for story sake, that the seven demigods (plus the new main character) are all seventeen, even though in reality, the ages are staggered. Also, for those of you who have read HoH, we're gonna ignore Leo's little, uh, "detour". Just for the benefit of this story. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO. They belong to the fabulous Rick Riordan, the famous cliff-hanger fanatic we all know and love.**

Prologue 

Four half-bloods crept through the streets of New York City, their senses tingling in alarm. The leader ushered the group onward, his fingers nervously grasping a ballpoint pen. Something was wrong; he could feel it. His suspicions were confirmed when a bloodcurdling scream pierced the chilly morning air. The boys took off running, their footsteps echoing on the empty sidewalk. Around the corner, a girl was sprawled on the ground, unconscious. An _empousa _was leaning over her, fangs bared, ready to strike. The monster turned at the sound of the boys, her eyes glittering in malice and her flaming hair flickering in the wind. The tall, muscular Asian notched an arrow, aimed, and fired before the _empousa_ could even flinch. She exploded into a cloud of yellow dust. The boys rushed over and kneeled next to the girl. She had long, glistening golden hair, soft and light like sunshine, thick, dark eyelashes and full pink lips. She was unscathed; they'd gotten to her just in time. But her face was pale; no doubt a result of her recent scare. The blonde boy touched his fingers to her lips.

"She's breathing," he confirmed. The curly-haired Latino lifted her head into his lap. He laid his hand across her forehead.

"She's pretty cold. Maybe I could warm her up?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Leo…" the leader warned. Leo sighed in disappointment.

"Actually, that might be a good idea," the blonde said. The leader eyed him apprehensively. "Jason…" he said warily.

"It could wake her up, Percy." Leo brightened. "But no funny business, Mr. Flames for Brains." The tall guy nudged Leo's shoulder, earning him a scoff.

"I think I can handle myself, Frank." He shook out him arms. The heat radiated off of him, briefly filling the street corner with warmth. The girl's cheeks flushed with color and her eyes fluttered open.

"What… what happened?" Her eyes, which were a deep, silvery blue, darted from boy to boy. She realized that she was lying on a stranger's lap and swiftly sat up, blushing in embarrassment.

"Uh, we, um, found you, uh, passed out on the street." Jason's icy blue eyes were rimmed with guilt. "What's your name?" Leo asked her. "Jade," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "Jade Clark." "Leo," he said, winking at her. Percy rolled his eyes. "And this is Jason and Frank. I'm Percy," he said, gesturing to himself. She nodded at each of them.

"What was that thing?" The boys exchanged nervous glanced. "What thing?" Frank tried.

"That thing that attacked me!"

"Uh, what did it look like?" Percy caught Jason's eye. _It's a test_. Monsters usually don't attack mortals point blank.

"It almost looked like a vampire. But it had one hairy leg and one metal leg. And its hair was on fire." Jason and Percy nodded at each other. _Yep. She's the one._

"Am I missing something?" She was looking more confused by the minute.

"Brace yourself, babe," Leo said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "This could take a while."

* * *

**Promise me that even if you didn't think this PROLOGUE (take the hint, guys) was that interesting, or whatever, that you'll at least try to read Chapter One! You can't judge a book by its prologue (Yeah, I know that's not the right saying, but this story doesn't HAVE a cover, as you might be able to tell). Promise? Please?**

**I appreciate you taking the time to read this, regardless. You guys are awesome.**

**-TheLegendaryPotterhead **Peace, Love and All That Jazz****


	2. Chapter 1

**Yay! Congratulations to those of you who made it past the prologue! *Tears up* I am so proud. **

**Now HERE'S where the story really starts. I guess. More action will come later, since there's gotta be some kind of introduction to Camp Half-Blood and stuff, right? Maybe? No? Well, I think so. **

**Anyway, ENJOY!**

**R&R!**

Chapter One

What's happening to me? One minute I'm a normal (or maybe slightly abnormal) seventeen year old girl, and the next I'm getting attacked by monsters, knocked unconscious, and waking up to a group of complete strangers. Maybe I'm going crazy.

The boys led me down multiple city blocks until we reached Central Park. Percy was clutching a pen in his hand like a weapon. "Hey, uh, what's with the pen?" I asked him. He cocked an eyebrow and swiftly uncapped the pen. It expanded into a long bronze sword. I jumped back in surprise.

"We'll explain everything when we get on the ship," Frank assured me.

"The _ship_?" Sitting on top of the hill, right before my eyes, was an enormous ship. That's right. A ship. In Central Park. Oh, and did I mention that it _flew_? Well it did. Once we all got on board, Leo disappeared into the engine room, fired it up, and we lifted off the ground.

What was the _deal_ with these guys?

"Alright. Out with it. What's the big secret? First I get attacked by some demon monster thing, then _you_ have a pen that turns into a sword," I pointed at Percy, "and now we're riding on a freaking _ship_ that_ flies_!"

Jason took a deep breath. "Have you ever heard of the Roman Gods of Olympus?"

"Ahem." Percy cleared his throat loudly. "I think you mean _Greek_ Gods of Olympus." "Yeah," Leo agreed. "We'll take it from here." "So have you?" Percy asked.

"Well, yeah. We've studied them in school."

"Okay, I know this may be hard to believe, but… they're still around." I thought about this. I could tell they expected me to totally flip out or something, because they were watching me warily, like a dangerous animal about to strike. At first I thought they were out of their minds. I mean, come on. The Greek Gods? As if. But I was pretty certain that they were telling the truth; that was a gift of mine.

"Seriously?" I was more curious than shocked. "No joke?"

"Uh, no. We're serious." They looked at each other, as if trying to figure out why I was taking the news so well. Yep, they were telling the truth. Despite how insane the idea was, it was true.

"Okay." I said that just to get a reaction out of them.

It worked.

"Okay? That's it? You're supposed to be in denial; tell us we're crazy, demand to get off the ship, maybe throw a tantrum." Leo took my face in his hands. "Are you feeling alright?" I pushed him off.

"Well that was easy," Frank said in disbelief. "I guess the whole "you have a godly parent" thing won't come as such a shock after all."

"Um. Come again?"

"One of your parents is either a Greek god or goddess."

"What!?"

"And there it is." Leo had a triumphant smirk on his face. I scowled at him.

"Godly parent? Huh?" My brain was spinning.

"Trust me. You definitely have one. You can see through the Mist. If you were a mortal, you wouldn't have been able to see the _empousa_, that monster that attacked you, Percy's sword, or the ship. And since you can, you must be a half-blood. That means you have one mortal parent and one godly parent. We're all half-bloods, too." As if to answer my unspoken questions, Leo's hands caught on fire.

"Son of Hephaestus," he explained. "Except you will never meet another fire user like me. I'm special." I rolled my eyes. My head automatically turned to the other guys.

I felt a strong gust of wind. Jason floated into the air. "Jupiter… I mean Zeus." A ball of water appeared in Percy's outstretched palm. "Poseidon." I looked expectantly at Frank. He shrugged and said, "Mars." Leo elbowed him. "Oops. Sorry. Ares."

I was still trying to wrap my head around this. I have a godly parent? I was ready to accept the whole "the Greek gods are real" thing, but this? "So… who's mine?"

"How are we supposed to know?" Man, Leo was obnoxious. "What Leo means is," Jason said, fixing Leo with a death glare, "either your mom or your dad will have to claim you before we know for sure."

"You should have been claimed by the time you turned thirteen, which clearly didn't happen," Percy said. "We would have found you much sooner if you had."

"And before Valdez gives you a hard time," Frank said, putting his hand over Leo's open mouth. "He didn't get claimed until he was _fif_teen." Leo glared at Frank, only his eyes visible from behind Frank's massive hand. "Which parent did you grow up with?"

"My mom."

"That means that it was your father." Jason said. "Hopefully he'll claim you after we get to camp."

"Camp?"

"Camp Half-Blood. It's the only safe place for people like us." People like us. _Us. _This was my life now.

* * *

The ship started to descend when we reached the Long Island Sound. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, shattering the gray dawn sky with brilliant golden rays. We touched down on a small hill just inside the magical borders, which I'd been told about. The boys had tried to cram in everything during our brief trip; it was like a crash course in Greek mythology.

It felt like everyone's eyes were on me. Which, I guess, they were. The entirety of the camp had gathered in front of a big house, where a man was sitting on a horse. Or, rather, what looked like a man sitting on a horse. Once I got closer, I realized that the man's torso was attached to the horse's chest.

"Centaur," Percy whispered in my ear. I got lightheaded; seeing more proof that this whole story was actually true was a bit overwhelming.

"Ah." The centaur had a kind smile on his face. "We've been waiting for you. My name is Chiron, and I am the activities director here at Camp Half-Blood. Your name?"

"Jade." He smiled gently again and turned to Percy. "I take it you've explained everything?" Percy nodded. "Good. Let's get down to business."

He gestured for me to follow him. He led me into the big house, shutting the door behind us. "Leo, Frank, Percy and Jason have been having these dreams; dreams of a new quest. This quest is unique; instead of incorporating the skills of just three half-bloods, it requires eight. They were told that their eighth member hadn't been acknowledged as a half-blood yet; he or she was still unclaimed, living a somewhat normal life. They were instructed to find him or her in New York City, so they set out to find them. Just after they left, I began having visions; they depicted a girl, who I now know is you, with extraordinary ability. The minute you crossed our borders, I could feel your power. My only question is why your father has not claimed you yet." My eyes widened.

"Do you know…?"

"I apologize, Jade. I am unaware of your father's identity at the present time. I'm hoping, now that you've entered our world, that he'll claim you very soon."

"You said this quest requires eight members. If you add me to Leo, Percy, Frank and Jason, it makes five. Who are the other three?"

"We'll get you acquainted with them shortly. I'm sure you guys will have plenty of time to talk while you're planning for your quest."

"What is this quest exactly?"

"The gods have remained silent; they've promised me that the quest will be vocalized after the eighth member, or you, has been claimed."

"Is this… normal behavior for them?" Chiron smiled.

"The gods _are_ known for their mysteriousness." He winked at me.

The whole camp was still gathered outside the house, whispering furiously. I spotted Leo, Percy, Jason and Frank talking to three girls: one with curly blonde hair, one with chocolate brown hair braided with a feather, one with cinnamon brown hair and caramel skin; all of them pretty. I had a feeling that they were the three remaining members of our quest.

Suddenly I felt like a complete outsider. These seven half-bloods had probably known each other for a long time, and I was just some helpless newbie that had shown up in the middle of downtown New York City and barged into their lives. And, judging by their interactions, there were couples within the group. Percy had his arm around the blonde's shoulders, Jason was holding hands with the girl with the feather in her hair, and Frank had wrapped his arm around the cinnamon-haired girl's waist. Leo was standing awkwardly by himself, but still a part of the group.

Chiron must've sensed my discomfort, because he placed his hand on my shoulder; a simple yet comforting gesture. My uneasiness cleared right up. Then he trotted to the edge of the porch and addressed the camp. "Good morning everyone! I am pleased to introduce you to the newest member of Camp Half-Blood. This," he said, beckoning me forward, "is Jade Clark." I smiled cheerily. The campers returned my smile; some even waved merrily. _What were you so worried about? _I asked myself. "Alright," Chiron said, rotating to face me. "Let's get you acquainted." He led me down the steps of the porch and motioned for the seven to approach us.

"Jade, this is Annabeth Chase," he said, pointing at the blonde girl, "Piper McLean," the girl with the feather, "and Hazel Levesque," the cinnamon-haired girl.

"Hi," I said timidly. Annabeth was staring at me, almost as if she was analyzing the level of danger I imposed on her home. Hazel had a distant look in her golden eyes, but she smiled at me. Piper stepped over took my arm. "I can give her the tour," she told Chiron, leading me away from the crowd of campers, who had already begun to disperse. Some were still eyeing me, but most seemed satisfied with the introduction.

We walked over to the cluster of cabins; each distinctly unique. "Each cabin houses the children of a different god or goddess. There are twenty in total: these twelve were the original cabins, created for all the major Olympians. Minus Hades, of course." She gestured to the twelve cabins that formed a "U" shape of sorts. "And the new additions accommodate the children of the minor gods and goddesses. These were implemented after the Second Titan War." My confusion must've shown on my face, because Piper laughed and said "I'll explain that later."

"Which cabin do you stay in?" I asked her. She pointed at a bright pink cabin, complete with regal columns and curtained windows. "My mother is Aphrodite." She leaned in close and whispered, "I've been trying to get that awful paint job changed since I got here." I giggled.

* * *

**And there we go! The end of Chapter One! I encourage you to continue on to Chapter Two, and Three, and so on, but the choice is up to you.**

**I hope you make the right one.**

**-TheLegendaryPotterhead **Peace, Love, and All That Jazz****


	3. Chapter 2

**Welcome to Chapter Two, brave readers! All I'm going to say is, ENJOY!**

**Seriously. That's why we write stories on FanFiction, right? For the enjoyment of others that share a love of these series? **

**That's why I'm doing it at least.**

**Well, enough rambling! Onward!**

**R&R!**

Chapter Two

Piper proceeded to show me around Camp Half-Blood. It was gigantic; they had a dining pavilion, stables, an armory and a forge, a forest, a canoe lake, a beach, _and_ a climbing wall that spewed boiling lava.

"So," Piper began as we stood in the grass next to the armory. "You're our eighth member. That's big. Quests are incredibly dangerous. Which is why we need to get you a weapon. I'm assuming you don't already have one?" I shook my head. She pushed open the door to the armory. Weapons of all shapes and sizes lined the gray walls. I sucked in my breath. This quest had just become a thousand times more real to me in that moment.

"See anything that sparks your interest?" She eyed me inquisitively. I scanned the shed. I had no clue which weapon would suit me the best. Clearly, Piper didn't either. "I guess we can test some of them out." She plucked two swords, a bow and a quiver of arrows, and a knife from the nearest wall. "Sword first," she decided, tossing me one of them. I snatched it by the hilt before it could stab me in the foot. She gripped her own tightly, squaring her shoulders in preparation. I nervously faced her.

"Now, I'm not the best swordsman," she admitted, "but Hazel has been trying, emphasis on _trying_, to teach me." She lunged forward, slashing her blade through the air. I tried to counter, but she hit the sword right out of my hands.

"Okay, obviously I'm not a good swordsman, either." I couldn't help but laugh. She did, too.

"We can try the knife next. Knives are tricky in combat; you have to be swift, agile, and aggressive." She strapped on a bronze breastplate. "But they're also easier to control." She picked up the knife and handed it to me. It was very shiny, like it was rarely used. I guessed that most half-bloods preferred swords over knives. "Ready?" I nodded. She motioned for me to initiate the attack. I rushed forward, aiming at the breastplate. I got closer than I had with the sword; I blocked one of her jabs, but the next strike sent the knife spinning into the air. It disappeared behind the armory.

"So no knives?" Piper laughed again. She picked up the bow and quiver.

"Try this," she offered. My fingers tingled as I touched the bow. Piper pointed to the tree nearest the armory; it had a black and red target pinned to it. "Aim for the red bulls-eye."

I lifted the bow and lined up the arrow. I closed my right eye and squinted in concentration. I focused on the target, as if willing the arrow to hit the center. I pulled back the arrow and let it fly. It sailed through the air, as quick as a bullet. I closed my eyes, praying that I wouldn't screw this up, too. I heard a _thunk_. I had made contact with something. I slowly opened my eyes. Piper was staring opened mouthed at the tree. She looked at me, her eyes wide.

The arrow had hit dead center. _That's gotta be beginner's luck, _I thought to myself as I extracted the arrow from the target. I drew another arrow, pulled back and fired. It hit the same spot again, the exact center of the target.

"Well… I guess you're, uh, definitely a bow and arrow kind of girl." She tossed the swords back into the armory and shut the door. "Interesting."

* * *

Piper and I didn't get a chance to reunite with the other six, since we got back right at dinner time. Groups of campers were strolling toward the dining pavilion. I had heard about the strict dining rules; campers had to sit with their cabins; they couldn't sit at another cabin's table. I had no idea where to go.

And as if I didn't feel bad enough, campers were blatantly staring at me as if I was some sort of freak. I turned to Piper, confused. "Why are they all staring at me?" She turned to face me, and her jaw dropped. Chiron trotted over to us and patted me on the shoulder.

"Looks like you've been claimed." _What!?_ He was staring at the air above my head. I looked up. Right there, floating in mid-air above me, was a miniature, glowing golden sun. I felt my face getting warm, but it wasn't from embarrassment. I glanced down at my body; I was surrounded in a temperate golden glow. Chiron faced the campers, causing instant silence. "Hail Jade Clark. Daughter of Apollo; God of the Sun."

"A…" Chiron cut me off.

"You've had a long day. Go enjoy dinner; we can talk after." I obeyed, but reluctantly. My dad was the God of the Sun. The questions were buzzing around inside my brain. But I figured that protesting would get me nowhere.

"Well," I said turning to Piper, "I guess I have somewhere to sit now."

My, um, brothers and sisters in the Apollo cabin were so genuinely nice I suspected sarcasm. They welcomed me like I'd been a member all along; which, in a way, I was. They explained, in excessive detail, the perks of being a child of Apollo. I realized that I was the very, almost stereotypical, definition of one: I was good at archery, I was an admittedly (I don't mean to brag) fantastic singer, and I had the trademark blonde hair and blue eyes. It was so painfully obvious I was actually surprised that I'd never suspected it before.

Except I wasn't, because I would never, in a million years, have guessed that my father was a _Greek god_.

After dinner, Chiron summoned the eight of us to the Big House. "I think you all know why you're here." Instead of his usual, cheerful self, he seemed vexed. His voice was grave.

"Nope. No clue." Percy punched Leo in the arm. Chiron gave Leo a stern look and he held up his palms in defeat, a smirk playing across his lips.

"As you are all aware, the gods have issued a new quest. And now that Jade's been claimed, we've found our eighth member."

"So what is this quest for, exactly?" Jason leaned forward in his chair. Chiron looked uncomfortable. "My apologies, Jason," he said quietly. "I've been instructed to abstain from details. All I'm allowed to do is prepare you for the journey and send you on your way." His face had a shadow of guilt. That wasn't reassuring.

"So we basically have no idea what we're getting ourselves into?"Hazel looked skeptical.

"Huh. Do we ever?" Percy asked. Annabeth snickered. She'd been observing me from across the room, and it was getting a little intimidating.

"Where's Rachel?" Annabeth scanned the room as if Rachel was hiding somewhere, listening.

"There will be no need for a prophecy this time." Everyone except me gasped. It sounded comical, like an old-timey soap opera.

"But how will we know what to do?" Piper asked. "The prophecies give us a basis; something to go off of. How will we know what we're searching, or fighting, or whatever, for?"

"I suppose you will have to figure that out on the way." I had the strangest feeling that Chiron was withholding vital information. Clearly this quest was unlike any quest Camp Half-Blood had ever seen before. Was it going to be more dangerous? More challenging? Judging by everyone's expressions, I wasn't the only one with concerns.

* * *

Since the only thing I'd brought with me to camp was the clothes I was wearing, my siblings had loaned me a lot of miscellaneous clothing items. Most of them were all action-y and combat-like; you know, all tight-fitting and ready-for-battle, which, I'll admit, made me look kinda badass.

The next few days were dedicated to combat training, eating, and sleeping. On the day before we left for the quest, I spent most of my time shooting arrows. I was getting even better (if that was possible); so good, I beat all of my siblings in our daily archery tournaments.

The sun was just hovering above the horizon as I picked up the last arrow in my quiver. But before I could fire it at the other eleven arrows that were all somehow able to be stuck at the dangling target's center at the same time, I heard a voice. "Clark!" I wheeled around. It was Leo. He insisted on calling me by my last name. I returned the favor by calling him by his.

"Valdez." I was on the fence about him. He was over-the-top obnoxious and he drove me crazy. But some little part of me, way deep down, whispered uncertainties that I tried to push down even farther.

"Nervous for tomorrow?" His rich brown eyes dared me to contradict him.

"Huh. As if." I faced the target and shot. But Leo's presence was distracting me, so I winded up striking the edge of the target.

"Ooh. Off your game, huh, Clark?" He smirked. I rolled my eyes, making sure he could see.

"Like you could do _any _better." I taunted him with my words. It worked.

"Gimme that," he said, taking the bow from my hands. His fingers brushed mine; his hands were smooth, yet rough. I hated myself for even thinking this.

He jogged over to the target and yanked my failed arrow from it. As he approached me he raised his eyebrows, then notched the arrow and fired. The arrow zipped through the air, skimmed across the top edge of the target, and soared into the distance. I scoffed. "Looks like Mr. Bad Boy Supreme isn't such _hot stuff_ after all." **(A/N: This is a reference to a scene in MoA.) **

He looked taken aback. "Hazel t-told you about that?"

"Mmhm." I pursed my lips and studied him. I could tell he was embarrassed, which was expected. I doubted he wanted that silly story to circulate. Still, I thought it was hilarious. He tried to shake off the mortification and regain his wit. "So you beat me in archery. Big deal. That's your dad's specialty. Next time, you won't be so lucky." He crossed his arms over his chest and mocked a threatening face. I walked over to him and plucked my bow out of his hand.

"We'll see about that," I whispered, leaning closer to him. I turned on my heel and swiftly walked away, leaving a very bewildered son of Hephaestus behind me.

That night I had very vivid, sporadic dreams. Most of them revolved around the sun; warm, sunny islands, injured people wrapped in golden beams, their wounds fading in the light, and soft, happy music flooding the world. The last dream exploded in a wall of powerful light, as if blasting away evil, and caused me to wake up. Piper was standing over me in my bed, shaking my arm gently. The windows of my cabin were dark; the sun hadn't risen yet.

"It's time to go," she whispered. "Chiron wants us all outside." I quickly climbed out of bed and threw on the clothes I'd laid out the night before: a pair of tight, brown cargo shorts, a matching camouflage green cargo jacket over a white tank top, and some brown, lace-up combat boots. I clutched my bow, slung my arrow quiver over my shoulder, and followed Piper outside. Chiron was waiting with Frank, Hazel, Leo, Jason, and Percy. I saw Annabeth stumble out of her cabin, looking exhausted. Leo was staring at me as we approached the group.

"Enjoying the view, Valdez?" I whispered to him. His eyes snapped back into focus and he sneered.

"You wish, Clark." I rolled my eyes and faced Chiron. He didn't look very pleased. He studied us as if he was planning our funerals in his mind.

Was this quest really going to be _that_ dangerous?

"The time has come." Chiron took a deep breath. "The gods are ready for you to begin your… journey. Please follow me to the ship."

"Ship? Are we taking the Argo II? I added a whole bunch of new functions to it this week, and…"

"No, Leo. You're taking a provided ship, designed specifically for this quest." Leo's face fell. Chiron led us to the beach, where a simple, medium-sized sailboat was rocking in the calm waves.

"This is it?" Jason asked in disbelief. "This is all we get?"

"I'm afraid so, Jason. Now, you'd best be on your way. You ought to be sailing before the sun rises."

"But what about supplies?" Percy asked.

"The boat already has everything you need. Now go." We started timidly toward the sailboat, still confused. Chiron caught my arm and held me back.

"I have something for you." He reached into his shirt pocket and extracted a golden necklace. He placed it in my palm. It had a small charm: a golden bow and arrow. "A generous gift from your father." I fastened it around my neck, and could feel the magic radiating off of it. Chiron removed the quiver of arrows from my shoulder. "You won't be needing this. Go on, give it a tug." I grasped the charm in my fingers and gently yanked it. The necklace glowed, and, out of nowhere, a golden bow appeared in my hands. I felt my shoulder; a new quiver had also appeared on my back. I lifted it carefully. There were twelve arrows nestled inside, each with different colored fletching. **(A/N: For those of you who don't know, fletching is the feathers on an arrow's end, opposite the tip.)**

"This is a very special gift, Jade. You get a selection of arrows: Celestial Bronze, Imperial Gold, and sonic, exploding, and so on. Once you fire an arrow, it will automatically replenish itself. Both the bow and quiver are immune to theft; once a thief removes it from your body, it will disappear. And don't worry about breaking or losing them; they will return to the necklace immediately, completely healed. Tug it to activate the power, and then tug to retract." I yanked the necklace again. The bow and quiver disappeared.

"Why would my father give me something like this?"

"Your father believes that you have incredible potential; he knows that you'll need an exceptionally powerful weapon to match your growing ability."

"But…"

"I wouldn't dwell on it. You'll appreciate it when the time comes. Now, go with your friends. You have a perilous journey ahead of you, and your friends need you." Chiron ushered me toward the sailboat. "I wish you the best of luck, Jade Clark." And with that final note, he turned and clip-clopped back into camp, leaving me alone in the dark.

* * *

**So? What did ya think? I'll only know if you review, so feel free to comment! I love support.**

**I won't waste anymore of your time.**

**After all, you ARE reading my story (a.k.a my BABY).**

**Haha. Just kidding.**

**But seriously, continue!**

**-TheLegendaryPotterhead **Peace, Love and All That Jazz****


	4. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much to The Awesome One for being my first reviewer! (See guys, that's the prize you get for reviewing! A shoutout! Pretty Frantastic, right?) Now for those of you anxious readers (if there are any…), I just got out of school for Thanksgiving Break, so I'll try to update a few times this weekend. Because I love you all so much. Now, go on! Enjoy the story! And remember to REVIEW. **

**Keep in mind that I update faster with more reviews…**

**Heads up: this is a relatively short chapter; I apologize in advance.**

**R&R!**

Chapter Three

The quest began smoothly. Percy was easily able to steer the ship; it required very little effort on his part. We were heading due east on Chiron's instruction, but no one had a clue what lay ahead. The sun rose over the ocean as we sailed, spreading red and pink streaks through the sky. I leaned back and soaked in the rays.

I'd learned that the sun acted as a kind of steroid; it helped to heal me, it flooded me with energy, and it made me stronger. It was like Percy's reaction to water, just with sunlight.

I gripped the railing of the sailboat and squinted, scanning the horizon. All I could see was sea and sky; we were headed to open ocean. No one was talking; we'd all scattered across the deck, just observing. Percy and Jason were both pacing, looking equally uncomfortable.

"What's up?" I asked Percy. He was practically muttering to himself, as if in debate about something.

"Nothing." His voice said one thing, but his eyes said another. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Come on, Percy. Anyone can see that something's not right with you. What's wrong?" He leveled his eyes with mine.

"It's just… I can feel a disturbance. I can't _see_ anything, but it's just… there. Like maybe a storm or something?"

"I can feel it, too," Jason agreed, approaching us cautiously. "Something's not right." Both boys rotated in sync, facing the edge of the sailboat. They leaned out over the railing, searching for something; _anything_.

Just as they'd started to calm back down, the sky blackened. In just seconds, it went from a cheery pink to a menacing dark gray. Clouds closed in, blocking the sun from reaching us. I heard a clap of thunder, followed immediately by a flash of lightning. Jason tensed, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Before anyone had time to react, Piper screamed and pointed out to sea. An enormous black wave was pushing through the ocean, coming straight toward us. The clouds thickened as the wave drew nearer. Percy gritted his teeth in concentration; he tried to steer the ship to safety, but once we got turned around, we saw an identical black wave approaching from the west. And they were closing in fast.

"Guys, brace yourselves!" Percy ordered. No one argued; we all clung to the railing as the waves drew closer. He raised his palms, as if trying to push the waves back. That's probably what he was doing, too. The waves slowed, but not by much. A bolt of lightning flashed in slow motion, striking the very top of the eastern wave. The water pulsed with electricity, looking like a wall of pure energy.

Jason threw his arms out, attempting to draw the lightning out of the water, but his plan backfired. The lighting was extracted from the wave, but it arced back to the sailboat, striking the deck right behind Frank. He leaped in surprise, nearly hopping over the railing. The bolt left a wide scorch mark on the deck; it had seared through the wood.

"Why can't we control this!?" Jason yelled to Percy over the roar of the storm.

"I don't know!" Percy yelled in response. "It's almost as if Poseidon and Zeus are doing this directly…" He was interrupted by another stroke of lighting. It lit up the dark sky, highlighting a land expanse to the north.

"Guys!" I screamed. "There's land!" I pointed north. They followed my gesture, and their eyes lit up. Percy threw his hands out, and the sailboat wrenched to port. This time, I almost toppled over the side, but Leo caught me before I could clear the railing.

I could hear Percy groaning in frustration; the boat was racing toward the land, but not fast enough to escape the waves. They'd changed their course as well, now combined into one gigantic expanse of water.

I didn't even care that I was practically clinging to Leo; my heart was racing and my battle reflexes were on full alert. As we drew closer and closer to the land, a deafening thunderclap rocked the boat. A colossal bolt of lightning exploded from the sky and zipped down toward our ship. This one was so big, I knew that it would blast all of us right off the ship, possibly resulting in death.

As if out of instinct, I thrust my hands out toward the bolt of lightning, which was uncharacteristically slow, just like the rest. I concentrated all of my energy into my hands, and a wall of light erupted from my palms. It blocked both the lighting and the wave from striking the ship, and gave us the last propulsion we needed to reach land. The sailboat slammed into the sand, sending us tumbling onto the ground. The storm seemed to give up after we'd touched the sand; the wave retreated back into the sea, and the sky calmed. Any evidence of a recent storm was gone.

We'd all landed in a pile, one on top of another. I awkwardly scrambled off of Percy, who I'd been on top of.

"Holy Hephaestus," Frank breathed, once he'd caught his breath. "What was _that_?"

"And why was it out of our control?" Jason looked ashamed, as if it was his fault.

"Well, whatever it was, it stranded us here." Percy gestured to the broken ship resting on the sand behind us.

"Yeah, sorry guys," Leo said. "I can't fix that. And on another note." He turned to me. "How did you _do _that?"

I shrugged, feeling embarrassed. I honestly had no idea how a wall of pure light had come from my hands. I studied my palms, looking for an answer that I knew they didn't hold.

"She harnesses _photokinesis_," Annabeth said matter-of-factly. She brushed off her pants as she stood. "It's a rare gift in children of Apollo."

"_Photokinesis_?" Frank said. "What's that?"

"It's similar to Leo's _pyrokinesis _**(A/N**: **The ability to control fire)** but this is the ability to control and manipulate light instead of fire. Light users are able to become invisible, create illusions, shapes of light, light based force fields, and concentrate light particles into beams. It also strengthens the half-blood's already present healing capabilities. **(A/N: Credit to Camp Half-Blood Wiki for the _photokinesis _stuff.)**

"Speaking of healing." Hazel shuffled over, her arm pressed to her ribcage. "I could use some of that remedial magic right about now." She lifted her arm to reveal a horizontal gash on her torso. I rushed over to her and helped her stretch out on the sand. Then I touched my fingers gently to her wound and began to sing. My siblings back at camp had taught me a special "healing song" that was used to fix wounds and stuff. I'd never tried it before, but this seemed like a good opportunity to test it out.

Once I was finished, Hazel slowly sat back up. She was glowing faintly from the magic, and she looked almost… happy.

"How do you feel?" Frank asked her.

"I feel great!" She grinned widely. He let out a huge sigh of relief. Hazel accepted his offered hand and rose to her feet. She looked great, and somehow stronger. "Bring on the monsters; I can take 'em all."

"Wow," Leo remarked, smirking. "Someone's in a good mood."

"Seriously, guys. I feel like I can do anything!" She smiled proudly.

Did my magic do this? I was afraid to know…

"Don't get too hasty, Hazel," Annabeth said, glancing nervously at the woods. "Be careful what you ask for. This island feels… strange. I can't put my finger on it." She studied me once more, an action I'd become used to. I felt tiny and powerless under her calculating stare. "So much… power too strong… bad feeling… can't think clearly." She was muttering to herself, but we all heard what she was saying. Clearly this was a normal occurrence, because no one said anything; to her or to each other.

"Come on guys," Percy urged quietly, his gaze lingering on Annabeth. "Let's find somewhere to camp."

* * *

***Sigh* That Percy. That gorgeous, silly, hilarious, talented Percy. We all love him, don't we?**

**Well, I do at least. But I'm sure I'm not the only one. **

**And plus, my true love lies with our own Mr. Valdez. Sorry, Percy. It's true. **

**TEAM LEO FTW!**

**I know you feel me, fellow Leo fans.**

**But anyway, GET ON WITH THE STORY, MY APPRENTICES!**

**-TheLegendaryPotterhead **Peace, Love and All That Jazz****


	5. Chapter 4

**Here you go! Chapter 4! For those of you awesome readers that have gotten this far, the gods look down fondly on you. You're Frantastic (comment in the reviews if you know where that phrase/word is from).**

**Rememeber: Reviewers get SHOUTOUTS! That is a very noble prize, if I do say so myself. Who doesn't like free publicity? **

**Now enjoy yourselves! Go! **

**R&R!**

Chapter Four

We set up camp at the edge of the jungle, a safe distance away from the beach. Percy had suggested that we camp near the ocean, but after Leo and I simultaneously screamed "NO!" at that idea, the group vetoed it. It was easier to get spotted in an open area like that, and plus, sleeping in the sand? No thanks.

Before the girls and I could lift a finger to help with construction, the boys shooed us away, insisting that we go explore, or relax (which we definitely _didn't_ want to do) or something. Typical male nature, right? _So_ sexist.

I took advantage of my nonnegotiable break and practiced with my new weapon. When I tugged on the delicate golden charm, the bow and quiver sprang out, gleaming in the sunshine. Shudders raced up and down my arms, awakening my battle reflexes. I shot the arrows left and right, striking tree trunks right in the heart. The bow fit naturally in my grip, as if specially designed for me.

I heard a _snap_, and whipped around, bow poised and arrow positioned. I hesitated when I spotted Annabeth clambering out of the bushes, her hands in the air.

"Don't worry; I'm not here to fight. I want to talk." She perched on a large boulder, appearing apprehensive. I lowered my weapon and sat down on an adjacent rock. She leveled her stormy gray eyes at me, sending nervous shivers down my spine. Then her gaze softened significantly and she sighed, averting her eyes.

"Look, Jade. I'm sure you've noticed my perturbed behavior over the last few days." I bit back the icy comment that sat on the tip of my tongue. "Perturbed" wasn't exactly the word I'd use.

"I promise, it's nothing personal. I'm always careful around new campers; you never know when there's a traitor in your midst." I snorted in agreement. "And powerful demigods make me nervous. And you are most certainly a powerful demigod. I sensed it the moment you crossed the camp border. So that's why I've been observing you from a distance and acting so coolly around you." She smiled slightly. "It's not because of you personally." My heart melted, draining all of my previous contempt. I let out an enormous sigh of relief.

"You know, I'm actually really glad to hear that. I've heard so many stories about you and how funny you are, or how kind you are, and so on. I was beginning to worry that I did something to upset you." She chuckled.

"And I'm sorry for that miscommunication. Friends?"

"Friends." A loud _clang_ sounded from our campsite. I wheeled around; Leo was hammering a nail into a board; he was going about it quite noisily. How he'd gotten his hands on a hammer and nails was beyond me. That boy was full of surprises. He drove me up the wall, but I found myself watching him work. His movements were so methodical and controlled. It was almost… (I despise myself for admitting this) mesmerizing to watch him.

Annabeth quickly picked up on my stalkerish staring episode. She plopped herself down next to me, snapping me out of my fixation on Leo. "Ohh. You like him, huh?" I widened my eyes in shock. Was it that obvious… NO! I didn't like Leo! No way in HADES. Yeah, that's right. I'm a DEMIGOD NOW.

"What? Valdez? Ha! No way! He's infuriating." I crossed my arms over my chest in defiance. She clearly didn't buy my denial, because she smiled, almost sympathetically.

"We've all been there, Jade. I've had a crush on Percy since we were twelve. Not that he needs to know that, of course." Her eyes flashed over to where Percy was working. I allowed my gaze to stray back to Leo. "Plus, we all agree. You guys are totally into each other."

"What? Really? You think so?" My focus snapped back onto Annabeth. She smirked in triumph. I scowled once I realized what I'd said. "But who cares, right? I don't even like him." I focused back on him hammering away on his project. He must've sensed my stare, because he turned his head and we locked eyes. He grinned at me, and I turned away, trying to hide my blushing cheeks from him.

"Girl, you've got it bad." Annabeth pushed my shoulder gently. I remained silent; she'd refuse any denials I put out. Curse her overarching wisdom! Thanks a lot, Athena.

"Say I do like him, which I _don't_," I added hastily. "You think he'd ever return the feelings?" She smiled knowingly, but bit back the teasing comment I knew she was dying to say.

"Trust me, Jade. He already does." At that note, she rose to her feet and jogged back through the sparse woods to our campsite.

"What? How... Annabeth, wait! How do you know that? _Stop running away from me!_" I sprinted as fast I could to catch up with her. I skidded to a halt just behind her, but it was too late to prod her any further; we were within Leo's earshot. And there was _no way_ I was going to let him hear this conversation; he'd never let me hear the end of it. Him and his cockiness. Humph.

"Wow. You're fast. C'mon; let's ask the boys if they could use some help." She took my arm and led me over to Percy. _Very convenient, Annabeth_, I thought to myself bitterly.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain. Need a hand?" She smiled flirtatiously, which Percy evidently couldn't resist. He kissed her on the cheek.

"I think we've got it covered, Wise Girl."

"But I feel so useless; lounging around while you guys work! Isn't there anything I could…?" He cut her off.

"Nope. You just go relax; we got this."

"But…"

"No buts, Annabeth." His gaze fixed on me. "You could go help Jade figure out her new powers. She's hopeless." He raised his eyebrows at me.

"Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence, Percy. But yeah," I agreed. "I'm a mess."

"I can vouch for that," Leo said without even looking up from his wooden structure.

"Shut up, Valdez!" He turned away from his project.

"Make me, Clark!"

"You know I will!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"Oh, give it a rest, you two," Frank complained. Leo and I just glared at each other. Annabeth grabbed my elbow and led me back to the woods.

"Let's go," she said, "before you and Leo start World War III."

* * *

"How's this?" I asked, holding out my palm. A small ball of light flickered in the air, warming my hand. I put all of my concentration into maintaining the light, which never wavered for a second. Annabeth was a miracle worker; in the course of three hours, she'd turned me from an inexperienced new girl into a strong, powerful demigod. Man, that girl was efficient.

"Excellent! That's perfect. Now, focus on projecting it; aim for that tree stump." I rotated on my heel and lined up the shot. I gritted my teeth in deliberation and imagined pushing the ball of light through the air. I willed the light to move forward, and it did. It soared through the air and made contact with the trunk, burning a circular pattern into the bark. I dropped my hand and gave Annabeth a hug.

"Thank you for helping me." Her face broke into a smile.

"Of course. Now, let's try something. I think you're ready." I stepped back from her and planted my feet on the ground. "Make yourself invisible." I took a deep breath. _It's alright_, I thought to myself, _I can do this_. I closed my eyes and willed the sunlight to cover me, to hide me. I drew the light in, wrapping it around my body. Through my eyelids, I saw a faint light. I opened my eyes and saw myself surrounded in an aura of light. Annabeth was staring at me, but she looked stunned. I took a couple steps to the left, but her eyes never strayed from where I previously stood.

"Annabeth! I did it!" She jumped at the sound of my voice. "Oh, here." I walked over to her and placed my hand on her shoulder, alerting her to my position. She was instantly calmed. "I knew you could!" I grabbed her hands and started jumping up and down in delight, which caused us to collapse onto the ground, screaming and rolling around in laughter. I heard a cry of surprise from the boys' worksite. All four of them immediately rushed over.

"Annabeth? What are you doing? Are you okay?" Percy looked concerned. I realized that it must've appeared to them that she was laughing and falling down all by herself. Talk about crazy.

"Shh. Don't tell them about me just yet," I whispered in her ear. She nodded slightly to show that she understood, then continued laughing. It _was_ undeniably funny, me being invisible and all.

Oh my gods. I was _invisible_.

"What's wrong?" Percy was starting to sound desperate. I heard footsteps approaching, and saw Hazel and Piper emerging from the other side of the trees.

"What's going on?" Hazel asked. "What's up with Annabeth?" She was still convulsing on the ground, giggling like a maniac.

"We heard a scream, and she's over here, by herself, laughing crazily." Percy knelt down. "Annabeth. Talk to me. What happened?" She tried to sit up, but had trouble catching her breath.

"It… and then… fell down…" She fell back to the ground dramatically. Perfect opportunity for me. I pushed through Jason and Frank, sending them sprawling. They whipped their heads around, looking for something that wasn't there. "There it is again!" Annabeth cried. Percy drew his pen/sword. I had to stifle a giggle.

I toyed with them for a little while. Once their confusion turned into legitimate fear, I knew I should reveal myself. But I didn't even have to. At one point, I tripped on a rock and stumbled into Leo, who promptly tripped as well and fell over, pulling me with him. I lost focus, so my light barrier cleared and I was exposed.

"Clark?" He looked at me wide eyed. The others jerked back in shock. Annabeth burst into laughter again, unable to control herself.

"Surprise...!" I smiled weakly.

"But… you… how?"

"Well, Annabeth was training me how to use my _photokinesis_, right? That includes turning invisible, so… yeah. All that crazy stuff, well, it was me." Why was I acting so flustered? I was usually so sarcastic and confident around Leo. I decided that it was most likely due to the fact that I was _lying on top of him_. I blushed, probably bright red, and removed myself from him.

**(A/N: I wasn't sure about this scene; it's sorta random. But I left it in just for kicks and giggles. So no hate please!)**

"So, have you totally mastered your kick-ass powers yet?" Percy fist-bumped me.

"Haha. Not exactly…"

"We're just moving into the complexities," Annabeth explained. "It's going pretty well." She grinned at me.

"And that's only because your girlfriend here," I said to Percy, "is a genius."

"Believe me," he said, "I've known that for a long time." She blushed.

"We can talk about Jade's powers later. We have something to show you." Jason gestured to the campsite. The three boys grasped their girlfriends' elbows, leading them back through the woods, leaving Leo and I to walk awkwardly next to each other. The two single people out of a group of couples.

Just my luck, right? I get stuck with the exasperating, incredibly annoying one. I pushed down the feelings of uncertainty that were whispering in my mind.

The camp looked fantastic; these guys sure knew what they were doing. In the center of the camp was a huge fire pit, surrounded with four log benches. A large, wooden hut structure stood proudly at the edge of the jungle, glowing in the late afternoon sun. A sturdy-looking picnic bench sat next to the fire pit, with Piper's magic cornucopia rested on top.

"Wow," Hazel and Piper breathed simultaneously. We stood, admiring the work the boys had accomplished.

"It was no big deal," Leo said, pushing out his chest like a pompous king. I shoved his shoulder.

"Yeah, not when you've got Repair Boy around to do the dirty work." Jason's eyes flashed, daring Leo to retort.

"Hey, hey," Frank protested. "It was a group effort." Hazel reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

"And you guys did a wonderful job," she said. Percy took Annabeth's hand, and Jason wrapped his arms around Piper's waist.

"Alright, before things get too mushy and couple-y…" I said, sparing us another awkward moment.

"Yeah," Leo agreed. "Let's get this party started!"

* * *

**Silly Flame Boy. **

**Yep. That's all I have to say right now. ONWARD!**

**-TheLegendaryPotterhead **Peace, Love and All That Jazz****


	6. Chapter 5

**Here we are. Chapter Five. I hope the story's gotten more interesting for you guys. I try my best. Because I love you all. Especially those who have been here the whole time.**

**Once again, I apologize in advance for the OOC moments, if there are any. I just can't help it. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! It will literally make my day! **

**Wow, I sound super desperate. **

**Anyway… **

**R&R!**

Chapter Five

"Come on, Clark. You scared of me or something?" Leo patted the seat next to him, which was, conveniently, the only remaining seat. I rolled my eyes pointedly.

"I think I'm allergic to fire." I watched the flames in the fire pit as they licked at the sky, as if trying to reach the setting sun. **(A/N: HINT, HINT GUYS.)**

"Allergic to fire, huh?" Leo's eyes darkened in mischief, a look I knew too well. "Well, you know, as they say, people always want what they can't have, right? Maybe your _allergy_ is the reason you're so attracted to me!"

"Okay, one. Ew. And two… _eww_!"

"Don't fight it, baby. Just embrace it! I promise; you won't be disappointed." Ugh. This guy was… was…

_Maddeningly charming and irresistible?_ Shut up, I told myself.

I, reluctantly, trudged over and sat down next to him. "Just to get you to shut up," I assured him. "And there's nowhere else to _sit_, thanks to you guys." I glared at the others. They just shrugged their shoulders nonchalantly, as if they had_ absolutely nothing to do with the seating arrangement._ Leo tried to be smooth and put his arm around me, but I shrugged it off.

"Man." He whistled. "Tough love."

"Anyway," Annabeth said, shattering the moment. I send her a mental message filled with gratitude. "We've been here for hours, with no sign of anything. Not a word from the gods. Does anyone else get the feeling that this is some sort of trick?"

An uncomfortable silence hung over us. That meant we'd all had the same doubts.

"Let's think," she continued. "Why would the gods send us to some seemingly uninhabited island? Piper, Hazel, did you find anything?"

"Not really. We searched around the jungle and the coast, but didn't make it much farther before we heard you screaming." Annabeth and I grinned sheepishly at each other. "No signs of anything."

"Do you think the jungle covers the whole island?"

"I'll check," Jason offered. He summoned the wind and lifted into the air.

"Jason, be careful…" Piper warned.

"I'll stay low," he promised. He soared up to the tops of the giant trees and rested on the canopy. When he flew back down, he looked disappointed.

"All I could see was jungle. The mountains are too far away to see them clearly."

"It's alright," Piper reassured him. "We can go exploring tomorrow."

"Speaking of tomorrow," Percy said, leisurely stretching his arms. I forced myself to ignore his good-looks, which was challenging. Annabeth sure had good taste. "We should hit the sack." He rose to his feet, pulling Annabeth with him. "We found some sleeping bags in the boat, so we set them up in the hut."

"Perfect." Hazel yawned widely. "I'm beat." She took Frank's hand and started to lead him to the hut.

"Wait a second," Jason said. "Who's gonna take watch?"

"I'll do it," I volunteered.

"Are you sure? You shouldn't do it alone, at least, what with your… um…" Jason stuttered into silence, clearly embarrassed.

"Inexperience?" I finished. He grimaced. "It's okay," I assured him. "I'd rather not put all of your lives at stake on my first watch, anyway." His face relaxed.

"Leo can do it." Annabeth winked at me while hastily dragging Percy into the hut, avoiding my refusal.

"Sure I can," Leo consented. "Go on guys, go get some sleep." Piper and Hazel both grinned evilly at me, then took their boyfriends and followed Annabeth and Percy into the hut. Annabeth stepped out and dropped two sleeping bags at my feet.

"You're welcome," she whispered, turning on her heel and jogging back to the hut. I shot invisible evil rays into her back. Then, grumbling, I picked up one of the bags and stationed myself next to the fire pit. I waited for Leo to come sit down, possibly on top of me, and say another one of his stupid (and, yes, somewhat funny, I'll admit) lines. But he didn't. He walked over, sat down right in front of me, looked me straight in the eye, and said, "You know, Clark, I'm not actually that bad." I sighed, but not in annoyance, and looked away. He cupped my chin in his hand and turned my face back to his "You should give me a chance." As I stared into his… ugh, fine, I'll say it… gorgeous eyes, I knew I wouldn't be able to resist him forever.

"I know. I'm… sorry." I looked down at the ground, suddenly feeling terrible. I'm not usually one to judge off of first impressions, so I regretted my hasty conclusions about him. I could feel his stare burning into my skin.

"Hey, hey. Don't feel bad. I haven't exactly been the nicest guy to you." I snickered. "That's an understatement," I muttered just loud enough for him to hear. He mocked an offended face. "Ooh. That cut deep, Jade." I giggled, then gasped. He whirled around, possibly expecting a monster or something. "What?" he asked.

"You called me Jade. You never do that." He smiled. "Maybe I'm warming up to you." He swiftly got up, grabbed the second sleeping bag, and laid down on the other side of the fire pit. I sat there, dumbfounded, for a minute. Maybe Leo _wasn't _so bad. I picked up my bag and set it down next to his. He raised his eyebrows. "Maybe I'm warming up to you, too."

* * *

An island appeared in my dreams that night; our island. There were jungles, waterfalls, mountains and caves. One underground cave was guarded heavily; people in full battle armor marched back and forth across the entrances. Inside the cave was a temple of sorts; it had images of the gods etched on the stone walls. A large staff stood on a pedestal in the center of the cave. The glass sphere on top had a sun depicted on it. Around the pedestal were seven identical, smaller staffs; their designs were an owl, a trident, a hammer, a thunderbolt, a helmet, a spear, and a dove. A palace-type structure with a sun etched above the entrance emerged at the foot of the volcano. Dozens of people protected the outer walls. The mountain began to rumble; scratch that, it was a volcano. But instead of lava, it spewed light. The beam of light stretched up into the heavens and lit the sky with pulsing electric energy. The world exploded in a flash of light.

Then everything went black.

The next morning, I woke up feeling warm and tingly. I soon discovered that the source of my warmth was Leo. Somehow, we'd ended up in one sleeping bag, lying face to face. His arms were around me and my hands were rested on his chest. How had this happened? He had done it? I watched as he smiled in his sleep. He looked very pleased.

He _did_ do it. I suddenly got flustered; the close proximity was unexpected, but I didn't want to wake him and give him the satisfaction of seeing the result of his little stunt. So, like any normal girl, (hear the sarcasm?) I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

I was dying to tell the others about my dream. I wanted to understand the meaning of it; what was up with the volcano? Were there other people, even demigods, on the island? And why?

Eventually, I sensed that Leo was awake. I opened my eyes and found myself staring directly into his. I expected him to make some perverted comment, but, to my surprise, his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. So un-Leo-like.

"Did you do this?" I raised my eyebrows. "Maybe… But you are very aware of how close we are, and you haven't moved at _all_." Bashful Leo didn't last so long; the cockiness had returned. I smacked his chest. "It might have escaped your notice, but I kinda _can't_." He narrowed his eyes. "Right. _That's _why." I rolled my eyes. "We should probably get out of this… position before the others wake up." I removed myself from his grasp and rose to my feet. "Come on, Repair Boy, get up!" He groaned, but slowly stood up. Just in time, too; I heard rustling inside the hut. The others came stumbling out, looking sleepy but well-rested.

"Morning, sleepyheads!" I called to them. They staggered over to the fire pit, which Leo had just lit.

"Morning." They answered in unison, all yawning in sync as well. I bit back a laugh. The memory of my dream resurfaced in my brain.

"Guys, I have some news." Their ears perked up at the urgency in my voice. "I had a dream last night." I told them what I'd seen.

"Well, now we know why that storm knocked us onto this island," Hazel commented.

"We were sent on a quest to find _staffs_? What a joke." Frank scoffed.

"Hold on a second. Those designs you saw on the staffs… they symbolize the gods. You know, the trident, the thunderbolt, etc. And then you said you saw a cave… with guards on the outside, right? Then a palace with a sun on the top?" I confirmed with a nod. "Then a volcano that contained light." No one spoke. "They have to be connected. The sun and light signify… Apollo." All eyes turned to me. "Maybe…"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Percy said authoritatively, cutting off his girlfriend. He rose from his log, uncapped his pen, and pointed at the jungle, like a knight heading into battle. "Let's go!"

* * *

**And there we go! The quest begins! I WILL UPDATE FASTER WITH MORE REVIEWS! JUST A PIECE OF ADVICE!**

**And cue the desperation again. Whatever. It's who I am.**

**I would love it OH SO MUCH if you continued reading...**

**A little food for thought...**

**-TheLegendaryPotterhead **Peace, Love and All That Jazz****


	7. Chapter 6

**And the story continues! Chapter Six! I hope you enjoy it, my lovely readers. For those of you who actually take the precious time to read this story, I appreciate it ever so much. The gods send their appreciation as well. Trust me, they do. **

**R&R!**

Chapter Six

I fingered my necklace as we trekked through the jungle. It was hot and sticky; we were sweating from the humidity. We were all jumpy, too; someone heard the smallest noise and all eight weapons were drawn. What made the jungle even eerier was the fact that we never found the source of the sounds; they came from thin air. For a bunch of high-strung demigods with built-in battle reflexes, that didn't fare well.

We trudged through the seemingly never ending jungle, praying to our respective parents that the trees would end. Watching them whiz by for minutes on end wasn't the most enjoyable pastime; we soon got restless and bored. Demigods are bred for battle, not leisurely strolling through deserted jungles.

"Maybe this _is _a trick." Piper's words stopped us dead in our tracks. We shared shifty glances, no doubt agreeing with the possibility of this all being a trap. "We've been walking forever, and we've found nothing; not even an animal. This jungle is EMPTY!" This time, instead of an awkward silence, the earth started to rumble. "Impossible," Piper grumbled. It was as if her words triggered the reaction.

The rumbling reminded me of my dream, so I instinctively rotated so I could see the volcano in the distance. As I watched, a small, faint beam of light shot out of the top, illuminating the gray mid-morning sky. "Look!" I gasped, pointing to the volcano. The others jumped at the sound of my voice, but, in turn, noticed what I was gaping at. We stood stock still, observing the phenomenon. My heart was racing in my chest, and my body had started to tremble.

Once the spectacle concluded, an uncomfortable silence settled over us. No one spoke; I'm sure that if I did, only stutters and squeaks would emerge from my lips. Subconsciously, we all moved forward and continued through the jungle. It was shifty glances and silent voices all around.

Eventually, we came to a wide river. It was the first thing we'd seen that wasn't a fricking tree, so it shattered through the uneasy hush that had fallen over us.

"Praise the gods!" Leo cried, falling to his knees dramatically and raising his hands to the sky. Piper whacked him on the back of the head.

"Do you _want_ to get struck down?" she hissed, glancing warily at the sky. He just flashed her his signature troublemaker's grin.

Meanwhile, Percy had approached the river. He waded into the water and instantly fell over, yelping in pain. Annabeth screamed and ran to his aid. She managed to yank him out of the water, but she, too, fell to the bank shrieking. The rest of us rushed to their sides, exchanging panicked glances.

"Oh my gods, what's wrong with them?" Hazel screeched. They were rolling around, clutching their legs. I gently rolled up Annabeth's pant leg. A band of blistering blue welts was creeping up her shin. Percy's were worse; his covered his arms, legs, and possibly his torso.

"Jade, _do _something!" Piper cried, her eyes watery. My pulse tripled in speed; I was too panicked to do anything. My hands started shaking and I started hyperventilating. I couldn't do this! I wasn't ready for something this huge!

_Come on! Make yourself useful for once and do something, you miserable, worthless girl!_ The hurtful words of my past that I'd shoved so deeply down inside resurfaced, fueling the flickering flame of hatred that lingered in my heart. **(A/N: Don't worry, an explanation for this is on its way soon.) **I scowled internally and screwed up my courage. I rechanneled my focus, drawn from my anger, and placed my hands on both of them. I sang louder and more powerfully this time; I hoped it would have a stronger effect. Soon their cries subsided and turned to quiet whimpers. The blue welts began to fade, leaving their skin looking raw and pink. I breathed out heavily, my panic disappearing with their wounds.

Once Percy and Annabeth were able to sit, Jason took some ambrosia out of his backpack and fed it to them. The color returned to their cheeks, and their grimaces faded to frowns.

"Well, obviously wading through the river is a bad idea." Percy's weak attempt at humor broke the tension; soon we were all laughing hysterically. The pressures of a quest, right?

"No problem," Jason said. "I can fly us over." He rose to his feet, with the rest of us following suit. He wrapped his arms around Piper's waist and summoned the winds. Within seconds, Piper was standing safely on the opposite side. One by one, Jason lifted us over the river. When only Frank was left, he refused Jason's hand. He started to shrink, and suddenly a tiny sparrow stood where his body was just standing. I did a double take; that _did_ just happen.

"It's a gift of his," Hazel whispered to me. I nodded, still slightly in shock. Frank, or, rather, the sparrow, flew nimbly over the river, landing next to Hazel and returning to proper form. I was about to comment on his sweet transformation, but at that moment, Jason touched the ground on our side of the river.

An explosion rocked the earth; I was blasted off of the ground. I could feel myself falling through the air, but before I could decide how to react, I slammed into the grass. I groaned in pain and checked my limbs for a sign of injury. Thankfully, nothing seemed broken; I was just bruised up. I lifted my head gingerly and looked around. I was completely alone; surrounded by thick trees and underbrush.

"Hello?" I called out, foolishly hoping for an answer. It was like a scene from a horror flick; the soon-to-be victim calls out and gets killed by whatever was stalking them. I tugged on my necklace, and with my bow and arrow positioned, I stepped around trees and made my way through the jungle.

I heard rustling in the bushes and I whipped around, searching for the source of the noise. "Hello?" I tried again. The rustling got louder, and before I could fire my arrow, a person crashed out of the bushes.

"LEO!" I cried, dropping my weapon and running at him. I launched myself into his arms, not caring if he found it weird or not.

"Hello to you, too," he said, laughing. He looked pleasantly surprised, which was good. When he released me from his embrace, I peered around him.

"Don't bother," he said. "I'm alone, too."

"What happened back there?"

"Clearly we weren't supposed to fly over that river, either. Something, or someone, didn't like it," he added darkly, eyeing the trees behind me.

We sent an Iris message to Annabeth, who had found Percy **(A/N: Because Percabeth)**. They were alone as well. We talked for a minute or two, discussing a plan. She promised to contact the others, then message us back when they'd figured out what to do. Leo swiped his hand through the mist and the connection dissipated.

We walked through the jungle, refraining from speaking. I wasn't sure that anything I had to say would help the situation; the only thought crossing my mind was how nervous I was.

I'd never fought a monster before. I'd never completed a death quest that made absolutely no sense before. Heck, I'd barely done _anything_ before I'd been taken to Camp Half-Blood. Another child of Apollo should've come on this quest instead of me.

Yeah, I know that I'd been found specifically for this quest; it was a sign from the gods. But maybe they'd gotten it all wrong.

More and more anxious thoughts piled up in my brain as we hiked through the trees. My apprehension must've been external as well as internal, because Leo clutched my arm and stopped walking.

"You alright?" he asked. I could swear I saw concern in his eyes. I tried to push my worry down farther; guys typically hate emotional girls.

I failed.

"I'm fine," I said, totally unconvincingly. I tried to continue forward, but he was stronger than me and held my hand tightly.

"Come on, Clark. You don't expect me to believe that, do you?" I sighed, chuckling slightly.

"No. I'm just bad at talking about feelings. It's not really my thing."

"Join the club. My social skills could use some work. Especially around gi…" He cut himself off, looking embarrassed. I didn't press him.

I didn't realize until later that we'd been holding hands the whole time. And neither of us had pulled away.

We continued walking. The sun shined high in the sky, busting through the towering tree canopy. Even with the glorious light on my face, I still jumped at the slightest noise. As of then, I felt an… evil presence, or something like that. It made my spine prickle.

We came to a clearing; it was a hole in the trees, directly hit by the sunlight. The grass was short and lusciously green, and I caught a whiff of flowers in the air. But something wasn't right. Leo tensed up next to me, so I knew I wasn't going crazy.

I heard a scuffling noise on the other side of the clearing. I whipped my head around, narrowing my eyes and straining my vision, trying to see what it was. Then, out of the trees, came a person.

It was my _mother_.

**Ooh. First CLIFFY. You didn't think this would be a happy, non-suspenseful story, did you? Well, if you did, I'm sorry to burst your bubble. MWAHAHA. I learned from the best, after all… **

**From now on, as a suggestion from multiple of my lovely readers, received by me through PMs, I will do a QotD (Question of the Day) at the end of each chapter; each will obviously concern PJO or HoO.**

**So, as the kickstart QotD: _At what age did Annabeth develop a crush on Percy?_**

**Comment your answer in the reviews and I'll recognize you for your correct answer in the next chapter. Please, try not to cheat. I'd love it if you DIDN'T read other people's answers before submitting yours. I know I can't stop you, but please honor my trust!**

**UNTIL NEXT TIME, MY APPRENTICES. **

**-TheLegendaryPotterhead **Peace, Love, and All That Jazz****


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